Letters

Tribute to Wyndham

Mark Burman's splendid piece (Friday Review, December 5) about Village of the Damned mentions that this is the centenary of John Wyndham's birth and says "not that anyone, apart from Radio 4, remembered". In fact, Wyndham researchers Jen Smith and David Ketterer organised a meeting of SF writers and readers in a London pub to celebrate Wyndham and the SF gatherings of the 1950s in the White Horse. Full tribute was paid by (among others) Brian W Aldiss, Christopher Priest and (via video) Arthur C Clarke. Andy SawyerUniversity of Liverpool

Your leader on punctuation (December 2) reminds me of a test given at Kingston high school, Hull, in the 1940s. To show an understanding the pluperfect tense, we had to punctuate: "Smith where Jones had had had had had had had had had had had the examiners approval." We all failed: "Smith, where Jones had had 'had', had had 'had had'. 'Had had', had had the examiners' approval." Julie and Peter BarnettGlossop, Derbys

The Australian alternative title for Lynne Truss's book is Eats Roots Shoots and Leaves. Roger HillWinchester, Hants

My son was eight this week. He announced he was going to put his birthday money in his bank account. His (seven-year-old) friend said: "You can use it for when you pay for university" (Comment, December 3 and 5) Debbie BarnettSt Albans, Herts